Crafting the Tale of Farewell Moments (Excerpt from The Lament of the Army Wife)

Crafting the Tale of Farewell Moments (Excerpt from The Lament of the Army Wife), Short Version 1

1. Analyzing the Brief Introduction of Song Thất Lục Bát Poetry in the Footnote, Identify the Verse Form of the Translated Passage regarding the Number of Lines, Number of Characters in Each Line, and Rhyme Scheme within a Stanza.
Answer:
The translated passage is written in the form of Song Thất Lục Bát.
- Number of lines, number of characters: consisting of two lines of seven characters (Song Thất) followed by two lines of six to eight characters (Lục Bát). Four lines form a stanza, and the number of stanzas is indefinite.
- Rhyme scheme: The last character of the first seven-character line rhymes with the fifth character of the second seven-character line, both being even-numbered. The last character of the second seven-character line rhymes with the last character of the sixth eight-character line. The last character of the sixth eight-character line rhymes with the sixth character of the eighth line, both being even-numbered. The last character of the eighth line rhymes with the fifth character of the first seven-character line of the following stanza, also being even-numbered.

2. Through the First Four Stanzas, How Is the Wife's Sorrow of Parting Described? What Is the Effect of Using the Contrast Technique 'He Goes - I Return' and the Imagery of Pouring Blue Clouds, Spreading over Thousands of Green Mountains in Describing the Sorrow of Parting?
Answer:
The wife's sorrow of parting is depicted by employing the technique of contrast, 'He Goes - I Return,' demonstrating the stark separation, where he ventures into a distant and arduous journey while she returns to a scene of loneliness and desolation. This stark separation, the heavy sorrow seemingly engulfing the blue color of the sky, spreading into the green hue of the mountain ranges. The imagery of blue clouds, green mountains contributes to evoking the vastness, the cosmic nature of the sorrow of parting.

3. Through the Second Stanza, How Is the Sorrow Further Described? What Is the Significance of the Technique of Contrast 'He Still Turns Back - I Look Over' in the Two Seven-Character Lines, and the Reversal of Positions of the Two Locations Ham Yang and Tieu Tuong in Evoking Sorrow?
Answer:
In the second stanza's four lines, the sorrow of parting is further described using contrast, where 'He still turns back, I look over,' along with the use of juxtaposition and the reversal of positions of the two locations Ham Yang, Tieu Tuong. The descriptive technique intensifies the sorrow, the poignant nostalgia seemingly more poignant.

4. Through the Last Four Lines, How Is the Sorrow Continued to Be Described and Elevated? What Is the Effect of the Phrases 'Together, Not Seen' in the Two Seven-Character Lines and the Description of Strawberry Fields, the Green of Strawberry Fields in Expressing the Sorrow of Parting?
Answer:
The sorrow seems to multiply endlessly, in the last four lines, the phrases 'together, not seen' are manifested in parallel (not seen). The color 'blue' clouds, 'green' mountains just mentioned before suddenly turns into 'seen green,' as if the colors mentioned are just 'a few strawberry fields.' Once again, not only repetition but also combined with reversal of words: 'The strawberry fields are green', the verse expressing what is 'seen' is futile, and ultimately, a rhetorical question, asking about the sorrow flooding both 'his heart' and 'my thought.'

5. Please Identify Exhaustively the Types of Paradoxes in the Poem and Explain the Expressive Effects of These Paradoxes?
Answer:
- The paradoxes in the poem 'After a Farewell Moment':
+ The paradoxes 'he' and 'she' (combined in reverse in the phrase 'his heart, my thought').
+ The paradoxes Ham Yang - Tieu Tuong, together - together, strawberry fields - strawberry fields, green - green.
- Focus on analyzing the following two effects:
+ Creating a melancholic melody for the poem, suitable for the sorrow of the army wife.
+ Contributing to the expression of the dual nature of the sorrow of parting: bonding but separating.

6. Based on the above analyses, please express the predominant emotions, language, and predominant tone of the poem.
Answer:
- The entire poem focuses on expressing the sorrow of parting of the army wife after bidding farewell to her husband, which is a profound and endless sorrow.
- This sorrow is most prominently manifested in the final line. The rhetorical question, 'asking but actually answering about the overflowing sorrow of both the husband and the wife,' not for the purpose of comparing who is sadder than who.
- The word 'sorrow' in the final line becomes a heavy, burdensome block of sorrow in the heart of the army wife.
- The tone of the poem reflects a profound, deep-seated sadness.

EXERCISE
1. Analyze the color green in the poem excerpt
Answer:
a. Words denoting the color green are quite abundant in the excerpt: azure clouds, verdant mountains, verdant green (strawberry fields), deep green (strawberry fields).
b. The differences in the words denoting the color green lie in their representation of different phenomena, hence they carry different connotations. Additionally, these words describe the color green at various intensities.
c. Effects:
- The words azure clouds, verdant mountains evoke the vastness, expansiveness of space, corresponding to the indescribable sorrow of the bereaved wife.
- The other two words describe the color of the strawberry fields with increasing intensity (verdant green, deep green), symbolizing both a profound sense of eternal separation (the green of the strawberry fields in medieval poetry often implies significant changes) and hinting at a distant and pervasive sorrow of the wife as her husband departs.
 

Composing the Essay After the Moment of Farewell (Excerpt from The Lament of the Army Wife), Short Version 2

Structure:- Lament Verse 1 (First 4 lines): the emptiness of the human heart facing the harsh reality of abrupt separation.
- Lament Verse 2 (Next 4 lines): the deep sorrow in the twists of mountains and rivers.
- Lament Verse 3 (Last 4 lines): the heartbreaking sorrow before various scenes.

Instructions for Essay Composition

Question 1 (Page 92 Literature Grade 7 Volume 1):
- The translated poem excerpt follows the form of Song Thất Lục Bát consisting of two lines of seven characters followed by a pair of Lục Bát (six - eight).
- Rhyme scheme:
+ The last character of the first seven-character line rhymes with the fifth character of the second seven-character line, both being even-numbered.
+ The last character of the second seven-character line rhymes with the last character of the sixth six-character line, both rhyming equally.

EXERCISE

Exercise 1 (Page 93 Literature Grade 7 Volume 1):
a. Words denoting the color green: azure clouds, verdant mountains, verdant green, deep green.
b. differences in shades of green.
- Verdant mountains: the green color of leaves, characteristic of mountain forests.
- Azure clouds: due to being reflected by sunlight, clouds take on a deep blue color.
- Verdant green: green color diluted over distance.
- Deep green: extensive spread of intense green.
c. Effects:
- Green → verdant green → deep green → green of mountains → green of strawberry fields
⇒ Space seems to be enveloped in green hues, contributing to evoking the vastness of the universe of sorrow and separation.
- The transition from light (verdant green) to intense (deep green) vividly depicts the increasing intensity of the emotion of longing.